Parents require a basic level of understanding about congenital cardiac defects to care for children with cardiac disease. We assessed general knowledge of congenital cardiac defects in parents of First Nations children in Saskatchewan.

The study was conducted in the pediatric outpatient clinic and wards. A questionnaire was designed to assess parental knowledge of their child’s heart condition as well as to identify any erroneous knowledge. At the end of the survey participants were asked how information could have been better communicated. A descriptive analysis of the results was performed.

The study was conducted from June 2004 to May 2007 and the parents of 44 patients were surveyed. The education level of those surveyed varied with 34% having completed primary school, 23% had completed some high school, 23% had completed high school, and 20% had completed some college. Only 57% listed English as their first language. Only 27% could correctly name the child’s heart condition. Fifty-nine percent were able to explain in lay language the nature of the child’s heart condition. When given a diagram of the heart, only 32% marked their defect correctly. Only 10 of 16 parents could describe the indication for the medication their child was prescribed.

First Nations parents of children with congenital heart defects in Saskatchewan have poor knowledge of their children’s heart defects. Patient education needs to be emphasized as an important part of clinic visits and ward consultations in order for parents to fully participate in the health care of their children.